ISPO SHANGHAI 2017 Boosts the Booming Development of China’s Niche Sports Goods Market
'Global spotlight on new business opportunities in the trail running market, delving into emerging trends in the fitness industry
'Exhibiting brands, exhibitors, and attendees received high praise, with all figures reaching new records
'Joined forces with Tmall to create a seamless online-offline service ecosystem
With continuous favorable policies, China’s sports market is rapidly evolving towards greater public accessibility and professional niche development. Riding this wave, ISPO SHANGHAI 2017 was held successfully from July 6–8, drawing around 14,000 industry professionals and sports enthusiasts to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Across three themed sports exhibition halls—Outdoor Enjoyment, Extreme Power, and Urban Trends—572 exhibitors (a 22% increase over last year) presented 668 brands, comprehensively showcasing the latest products and trend directions in Asia’s summer sports market.
At the same time, ISPO SHANGHAI, which aims to provide the industry with more diversified solutions and value-added services, collaborated deeply with Tmall—one of China’s largest B2C e-commerce platforms—to enable exhibitors to directly engage with online consumers, selling products both offline and online simultaneously. During the three-day exhibition, Tmall livestreaming activities garneredmore than 2 million likesas well asover 40,000comments and messages.
Mr. Klaus Dittrich, President and CEO of Messe München GmbH, expressed high praise for this edition of the exhibition:
ISPO SHANGHAI clearly reflects the Chinese market’s focus and enthusiasm for the segmentation of sports categories. The sports goods market in China is continuously developing, and the demand for innovative sports technologies is growing stronger.
What technologies will future sports shoes adopt? Which fabrics and colors will become the trends of the next season? What will be the next growth point in the Chinese market? Through several high-quality concurrent conferences and forums during the exhibition that offered detailed insights into the industry, attendees gained valuable knowledge.
ISPO SHANGHAI 2017 specially invited former professional footballer Wynton Rufer and Emerson Shiromaru from Penalty to participate in the “Football Symposium” at the exhibition. Within just one hour, the two football legends conducted an in-depth analysis on topics such as the future development of youth and grassroots football in China, expressing optimism about the prospects of Chinese football.
In China, running and fitness have become more than just a sport. They are a fashion statement, a form of expression, and a new way of socializing. To meet the ever-growing market demand in China,the 3rd (China●Shanghai) Asia-Pacific Trail Running Summitmade a dazzling debut, with the venue nearly packed to capacity.ISPO Academy: Fitness Studio Win-Win Summit and the 2nd ISPO China Fitness Industry ForumDelved into the consumer big data report of fitness enthusiasts, explored the brand positioning of fitness studios, and discussed the path toward mature business models, delivering the voices of industry pioneers from an observer’s perspective.
ISPO Morning Runwas also a huge hit on-site,with over 400 runnersgathering to enjoy the joy of running.
In recent years, the future development of the children’s sports market has garnered significant attention, and the Chinese government has also shown great concern. ISPO SHANGHAI 2017To this end, a series of related events were organized, co-hosted with the Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau for the2017 China Children’s Sports Industry Development Forum,inviting numerous authoritative government representatives and renowned sports experts to analyze and discuss the future of the youth sports industry and jointly explore incentive programs;National Youth Indoor Hockey Championship,The ISPO x ICONX Kids Skateboarding Summer Training Campand other events were highly praised by the audience; ISPO Kids Summer Climbing Showshowcased the organic integration of AR and rock climbing, bringing new inspiration to the industry.
Sustainability is undoubtedly crucial for the long-term development of companies and brands. ISPO SHANGHAI 2017, in collaboration with Brands for Good, specially set up the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Exhibition Areato highlight leading companies in CSR, conveying the new concept of “investing in the future for the benefit of businesses, employees, and customers,” ultimately forming an image that benefits the whole society.
One day before the official opening of the exhibition, the ISPO Outdoor Experience Daykicked off early. Over 270 dealers, retailers, media representatives, and sports enthusiasts enthusiastically experienced the latest sporting products at Shanghai Sesame Town and made initial contact with brands. The event was filled with laughter and a warm atmosphere.
This year, the Asian Sports Technology Expo (Sports Tech Asia) was held concurrently with ISPO SHANGHAI for the first time. With the theme “Outdoor Technology, Smart Sports, and the Fashionable Future,” the exhibition offered visitors the opportunity to explore the latest developments in sports technology. It featured innovations in sports product manufacturing technologies and advancements, such as outdoor product manufacturing machinery and 3D printing dyeing technologies.
The next ISPO SHANGHAI will be held from July 5–7, 2018 (Thursday–Saturday) at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.
In addition,ISPO BEIJING 2018, the 14th Asia Outdoor & Fashion Trade Show,will once again join forces withALPITEC CHINA 2018, the China International Mountain & Winter Sports Equipment Expo,and will reopen onJanuary 24–27, 2018at the Beijing National Convention Center.
For more information, please visit: www.ispo.com.cn
Voices from the Industry at ISPO SHANGHAI 2017: (Sorted alphabetically by last name)
'Mr. Alex Koska, Managing Director, Jiangsu Fenix Outdoor Products Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: Fj
This is our second time participating in ISPO SHANGHAI. Last time, we met some great partners here and felt there were many networking opportunities, so we decided to come again. We’re also looking forward to the next edition in 2018.
'Mr. Bao Yonglin, General Manager, Beijing TYNICA Sports Goods Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting brands: MICO, TECNICA]
This is our third year participating. We believe ISPO SHANGHAI is getting better and better, so we will continue to participate as always.
Mr. Chen Meng, Market Center, Thaiwoo Tourism Resort Co., Ltd. ● Chongli [Exhibiting Brand: THAIWOO]
We highly value the ISPO platform. This time at ISPO SHANGHAI, we met many new faces as well as old friends—it was a great gathering. This year, we not only connected with excellent channel partners but also encountered sports enthusiasts very interested in skiing in northern China. We gained a lot from this event.
Mr. Dai Pinghua, General Manager, Quyue International Trade (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: TRESPASS]
We believe that in the outdoor sector, ISPO SHANGHAI is currently one of the top exhibition platforms in China, with high international visibility, attracting professional audiences from all over the country and even Asia. This year’s event was very rich, featuring various procurement delegations, customer groups, and even live broadcasts on Tmall. We collected a great deal of customer information and are confident that it will yield positive results going forward.
Mr. Gao Peng, Marketing Manager, Ottobock (China) Industrial Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: Rehband]
Since participating in ISPO SHANGHAI last year, it has also marked a new starting point for our Rehband brand in the domestic market. We’ve developed very rapidly over this past year. This is our second year exhibiting, and we’ve grown together with ISPO SHANGHAI. The event has become more mature, and its brand promotion and targeting of key audience segments have become increasingly successful. Next year and in the future, we will continue to support ISPO SHANGHAI as always.
Mr. Gao Xiaosong, Deputy General Manager, Shuhua Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: SHUHUA]
We’ve been partnering with ISPO for several years. This time, we came specifically to ISPO SHANGHAI because we hope to better promote our Shuhua philosophy of "making sports simpler" through this platform in the domestic market. We believe there will be more collaboration between us and ISPO SHANGHAI in the future, and we hope to participate again next year.
Mr. Ni Zichao, Sales Director, Beijing Ruijilongfeng International Trade Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: Marmot]
Through ISPO SHANGHAI 2017, we had extensive communication with both new and existing clients, achieving our expected goals. We also look forward to more collaboration with ISPO in the future.
Mr. Qi Jun, CEO, SIGG Outdoor Sports Investment Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: SIGG]
Choosing ISPO SHANGHAI as our first exhibition platform in China was a no-brainer, as we have been strategic partners with ISPO for decades. We share a deep connection with ISPO and believe we will continue to collaborate in the future. Today, the entire board members of our brand were present at the event, and everyone was deeply impressed by the atmosphere. They all agreed that ISPO is simply fantastic.
Mr. Ron F. Tong, Asia Pacific CEO, Lorna Jane [Exhibiting Brand: Lorna Jane]
Lorna Jane has entered the Shanghai market, so naturally, we participated in ISPO SHANGHAI. This year’s exhibition had very good results—we met a large number of potential customers, and we’re very satisfied with that.
Ms. Shi Yingye, APAC Brand Marketing Director, PHS Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: LP]
LP has supported ISPO SHANGHAI since the first year. This year, both the quality of the visitors and the foot traffic were significantly higher than in previous years. There were also many department store tour groups and VIP tour groups at the event. In the future, LP has many areas where we can continue in-depth collaboration with ISPO to create more synergy and opportunities.
Mr. Soo-hoon Chae, Director, Korea Outdoor & Sports Industry Association
Compared to last year, ISPO SHANGHAI has improved a lot. The three themes and the new exhibition hall structure worked very well. By participating in ISPO SHANGHAI 2017, we could clearly see the huge potential in key areas such as wearable technology. We have been in the Chinese market for nine years, and China is now one of our most important markets. ISPO SHANGHAI is a crucial platform for us to connect with customers and partners, which is essential for our success in China. At this year’s ISPO Market Introduction program, we shared this experience. These platforms are important for exchanging knowledge, innovative ideas, and global brand development.
Mr. Tomas Tauchman, General Manager, Alpine Pro [Exhibiting Brand: Alpine Pro]
We participated in ISPO SHANGHAI to expand our business in the Chinese market. Chinese youth have great consumption potential, and the government is also supporting the development of the sports industry. We hope to be part of it and aim to become one of the first snowboard brands in China. We want to explore and develop this market together with ISPO.
Mr. Vojtech Burianek, CEO, Haven [Exhibiting Brand: Haven]
This is our first time participating in ISPO SHANGHAI. We hope to find potential distributors to work with here. The Chinese market is growing rapidly. People are paying more attention to health in their lives and want to buy high-quality sports products and equipment. ISPO SHANGHAI is a great platform for us to showcase our products and enter the Chinese market.
Ms. Wang Jian, Vice President & Marketing Director, Donghui Leisure Sports Products (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: Aqua Marina]
As a professional water sports equipment company with 26 years of history, we attend about 20 exhibitions around the world every year. ISPO is also very important to us, including ISPO MUNICH, ISPO BEIJING, and ISPO SHANGHAI, which we attend continuously. We believe ISPO SHANGHAI places great emphasis on branding and promoting the spirit of sports, which aligns very well with our brand philosophy. Participating in ISPO SHANGHAI is very helpful for our brand promotion and increasing product awareness.
Mr. Wang Ying, Marketing Center, Suzhou Senoi Electric Technology Co., Ltd. [Exhibiting Brand: CHOOCH]
ISPO SHANGHAI features professional outdoor experiences that are also stylish, which aligns well with our brand. We also hope that ISPO will continue to grow in the future, and we will give strong support to ISPO SHANGHAI.
Ms. Zhang Qian, Household Retail Channel Manager, Sunsit Fitness [Exhibiting Brand: CEP, Anita, TriggerPoint, Octane]
ISPO SHANGHAI is a great platform for communication among brands, agents, and distributors. We come to ISPO SHANGHAI every year, meet new friends, and gain new development opportunities. This year was also very lively, and the ISPO SHANGHAI platform is very helpful to us.